고려 최씨정권의 政房 운영과 성격

Abstract

The military generals who seized power as well as control over the government with armed forces did not abandon the civil system of administration entirely, and instead decided to use it to their favor in order to wield more power. This kind of trend was reinforced during the Choi regime. Choi Chung-heon gained control of the government, and was appointed to many illustrious posts, including the prime minister seats, heads of the Ibu and Byeongbu offices, head of the monitors office and also that of the supreme commander. Choi Ih and Choi Hang also walked the same path, while Choi Eui was assassinated before he was able to secure such posts. Leaders of the Choi house intended to exclude the Ibu and Byeongbu offices from the governmental appointment process, and wanted to monopolize the authority to select and appoint governmental officials. They used another location other than the palace for the process, such as private civilian residences or the Jeongbang hall. It should be noted that all the appointments authorized them were not illegally processed ones based upon unjustified and unwarranted use of authority. At the time the people behind such processes, the Choi house leaders, were already assigned to the head posts of Ibu and Byeongbu, and were legally authorized to intervene in the appointment processes. The appointment orders were issued from private places, but they were issued by entities who were entitled to do so. The process too was not to select private servants for the Choi house, so it was recognized and acknowledged as official functions of the government. The Choi regime leaders who had stronger power than the king, used their own authority and power as heads of the Ibu and Byeongbu offices. This shows us that even during the military regime period, Goryeo’s administrative system was still functioning. The Choi regime did not abandon it or replace it with yet other ruling system, but wielded its power by seizing control of the administrative system itself. The installation of the Jeongbang(政房) office was also intended to do just that, monopolizing the official appointment process in order to get control over the entire administrative system.